When I was in elementary school, recess was the pinnacle of excitement for the day. I remember enjoying how my friends and I were able to run and play as if we were not in a structured school environment. We had roughly forty-five minutes to play before we resumed our school work. I know I needed that time. I needed to run and get out all of my pent up energy. Currently, I teach preschool and I watch how my students run with enjoyment when we have our thirty minute play time twice a day. I open the gate to the playground and they yell and run with no reservations. They need it. I need it! Yet, this time is being threatened.
In 2001 the controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed by President George W. Bush. Long explanation short, NCLB requires schools to test their students in math and reading each year in order to determine if each child shows adequate yearly progress (AYP). You can read the law in its entirety at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/reports/no-child-left-behind.html.
The problem? Schools are so overwhelmed with the demands of NCLB that they are determined to help children increase test scores year after year. Because of this fact, schools are cutting recess in order to spend more time focused on math and reading.
This drives me mad. How do we, as a country, rationalize this? How do we look at the epidemic of childhood obesity and think, “Let’s cut more activity, let’s make their eight hour school day completely sedentary!”
Do not get me wrong, I completely support educational advancement. I just do not think that cutting recess to make more time for studying 
math and reading is the right way to go. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents need at least one hour of physical activity per day. This may sound like a lot, but you must understand that their exercise is unlike adults. Running, playing soccer and jumping rope are all ways of promoting physical activity. – Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html
There have been more than several conversations and articles about how to “fix” NCLB, yet nothing has been done. We continue to put the pressure on school officials and teachers. I do believe something will change eventually but, until then, let your child play! Let him or her run out your back door with no reservations. Building forts in the woods and playing kickball in the back yard have been childhood favorites for years. I am fighting to keep that alive…please fight with me!
